Figure 10: MCs grown as monolayers MC Phenotypic transformation and differentiation of MSCs into mature MCs. MCs incubated with amyloidogenic and LCDD LCs and then with RMSCs- X250 all figures. MCs incubated with amyloidogenic LC undergo transformation from a smooth muscle phenotype (expressing smoothelin-A) to a macrophage one, loosing smoothelin and acquiring CD68 in their cytoplasm (B and C). In contrast, RMSCs lack smoothelin (D), and acquire it after they differentiate into MCs (E). |